Through his work, he strives to present the viewer with more than a beautiful image, but also to find resonance between the viewers' emotion and the flora and fauna depicted.
He hopes his vision contributes to a realisation that nature possesses a form of emotional intelligence through its evolutionary process and that all living organisms are capable of empathy and thrive when living beside another harmoniously.
Working on this project gave him a new appreciation for the natural world. That is, through learning about the ingenuity of the emergence of all life forms we see today through some form of evolutionary magic and as well the interpretation of nature on an emotional level and exploration of natural landscapes we might encounter in dreams.
Jesper was born in 1992 and lives in Amsterdam where he works as a graphic designer and visual artist.
Supernatural Landscapes by Jesper Krijgsman @jesper.krijgsman Zurich, Switzerland
Interview by Contributing Editor: Olya Titova
Jesper Krijgsman: I’ve always been fascinated with visual storytelling and especially digital image editing techniques. I’ve also discovered an inner passion for nature. During my travels, I’ve encountered places that truly felt enchanting. I believe that this magical part of nature is something that is often overlooked these days. For example, the distinctive look of a particular plant is the result of its evolutionary process, or the behavior of certain animals is the result of the adaptation to their environment.
I try to convey an emotion in my work. I challenge myself to do this solely using natural and organic material. I believe that people have an emotional reaction to plants and flowers as soon as they realize it is living matter, that they have to overcome obstacles just as we do.
Although there are scientific explanations for these qualities, I’m often amazed by its creativity and diversity. I try to reflect this ingenuity in my work and explore realms in which this mystical inventiveness is untouched and amplified. In my process of editing my photographed material and placing it onto my digital canvas, I try to let go of everything around me and place my elements based on my intuition. Basically, I am mirroring a landscape that starts to grow: it often changes its course based on its interactions and takes its time before it gets finished.
JK: My profession of a graphic designer goes hand in hand with my artistic journey. I’m used to working with image editing programs on a daily basis. In the process of making my early graphic design work, I learned that I lean towards complex design rather than a minimalistic approach. This tendency didn’t always help me in the making of the graphic work, I was often asked to reduce details in the designs I made. I think that those commentaries fueled my desire to work on something without any constraints, something opposite of minimalism. I challenged myself to work with unconventional material in the digital world. Today I feel that my work is perfectly balanced between the job of a graphic designer in a communication agency and my own projects.
In my work, I try to celebrate the diversity of all that is living, not just it’s beauty, but it’s intelligence and ingenuity.
JK: During my process of photographing plants and animals, I get an intimate look at its properties. I get really excited when in the process of looking for new material to work with, I discover some unique shapes and colors that I have never noticed before. Since everything in nature serves a purpose, I start to imagine how this living being has developed itself into what it is today. I try to convey an emotion in my work. I challenge myself to do this solely using natural and organic material. I believe that people have an emotional reaction to plants and flowers as soon as they realize it is living matter, that they have to overcome obstacles just as we do. In my work, I try to celebrate the diversity of all that is living, not just it’s beauty, but it’s intelligence and ingenuity.
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
Present
Communication & multimedia design (bachelor),
Leidse onderwijsinstellingen,
NL
2015
Preparatory design course,
Zurich University of Arts,
Zurich, CH
2010
Higher secondary general education (HAVO),
Tabor College Oscar Romero,
Hoorn, NL
2021
Group exhibition, EUPHORIA at Dutch Design Hotel Artemis,
Amsterdam, NL
2021
Group exhibition, Hilton Zurich Airport,
Zurich, CH
2021
Group exhibition, photoSCHWEIZ Summer Edition,
Zurich, CH
2020
Group exhibition, Fresh from Zurich,
Zurich, CH
2019
Group exhibition, Photobastei,
Zurich, CH
2019
Werk Aan De Muur,
(pages 2, 12-15, 62),
Issue 5, Autumn 2019,
Dutch
2019
2019
2019
2019
EYE-Photo Magazine,
(pages 112-119),
January 2019,
English
2018
Werk Aan De Muur,
(pages 8-9),
Issue 4, Autumn 2018,
Dutch
2018
2018
Photoshop and Photography Newsletter,
English
2018
2018
Studio Llewellyn,
English
2018
2017
2017
2017
Werk Aan De Muur,
(pages 1, 6-7),
Issue 3, Autumn 2017,
Dutch
2017
Photoshop Magazine,
(pages 16-21),
#51,
Dutch
2017
2016
